Admission apparatus for internal combustion engines of the liquid fuel injection type



Get, 1, 1935. R w v s 2,016,062

ADMISSION APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES OF THE LIQUID FUEL INJECTION TYPE Filed Jan. 20, 1954 men m? Patented Oct. 1, 1935 PATENT OFFICE ADMISSION APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL CQMBUSTION ENGINES OF THE LIQUID FUEL INJECTION TYPE Ronald Whitehair Vigers, London, England, as-

signor to D. Napier & Son Limited, London, England, a company of Great Britain Application January 20, 1934, Serial No. 707,573 In Great Britain January 24, 1933 15 Claims.

This invention relates toadmission apparatus for internal combustion engines of the liquid fuel injection type wherein inlet and exhaust ports in each cylinder are controlled by a sleeve valve 5 to which is imparted a combined oscillating and reciprocating motion.

When such sleeve valves are employed the movement of the sleeve is mainly rotary during the initial opening period of the inlet ports with 10 the result that the charge tends to flow into the cylinder during the initial part of the induction stroke in a tangential direction which causes the whole charge to be in a state of rotation about the cylinder axis at the end of the induction 15 period. This rotation persists during the compression stroke and is utilized to bring the different parts of the air charge'progressively into the path of one or more fuel jets during the injection period so as to assist in the distribution 20 of the fuel throughout the air charge.

Whereas a considerable degree of rotation is desirable during normal running of the engine however the transference of heat from the rotating air charge to the relatively cool cylinder walls 5 is promoted by and increases with the rate of rotation. In order to prevent excessive cooling of the charge during starting or during idling or at both such times therefore, it is desirable that the rotational movement of the air charge 30 should be reduced or eliminated at such times while enabling the desired degree of rotation still to be obtained, however, during normal running of the engine and it is the object of the present invention to provide a convenient arrangement 35 whereby this variation in the rate of rotation can be effected.

To this end according to the present invention, the cylinder or each cylinder of an internal combustion engine of the kind referred to has asso- 40 ciated therewith aninduction chamber into which one or more of the inlet ports in the cylinder open and means are provided whereby the point of entry of the air into the induction chamber can be varied in relation to the inlet port or ports so 45 as to vary the mean direction of flow of the air towards each port. Since on the direction of flow of air towards the inlet ports, particularly during the middle and later parts of the induction period, depends to some extent the direc- 5 tion of entry of the air into the cylinder and hence the degree of rotation of the charge within the cylinder at the end of the induction period, it will be seen that the above arrangement enables the degree of rotation to be varied.

55 Preferably the induction chamber has two inlet openings therein so spaced apart that the mean direction of air flow from one opening towards each inlet port in the cylinder wall will be substantially different from that in which air will flow from the other opening to each inlet port.

The two inlet openings are valve-controlled, the arrangement preferably being such that when one air inlet opening is fully open the other is fully closed and vice versa. It will be seen that in this way when one inlet opening is fully open one definite degree of rotation will be produced in the cylinder, this rotation being, for example, that required for normal running, whereas, when the other inlet opening is fully open, the rotation is reduced to the extent desired for starting or idling purposes. Alternatively three inlet openings might be provided in the induction chamber any one of which can be fully open while the other two are closed, the inlet openings being so positioned as to provide the desired degree of rotation respectively for normal running, for idling and for starting where, for example, it is desirable that the rotation shall be reduced to a greater extent for starting purposes than for idling. v

The invention is particularly applicable to multi-cylinder internal combustion engines and, when applied to such engines, a series of separate induction chambers are conveniently provided, each having one or more spaced inlet openings capable of being controlled by a valve or valves in the manner described above. In this way not only can the degree of rotation in the several cylinders be controlled but it is possible to ensure that for any given setting of the valve or valves the degree of rotation in all the cylinders is substantially the same. Thus the difiiculty of obtaining equal rotation in all the cylinders experienced with prior constructions in which the inlet ports of all the cylinders communicated directly with a common induction chamber can be overcome.

Moreover, although when the invention is ap-- plied to a multi-cylinder engine each induction chamber may be associated with the inlet ports of one cylinder, preferably each induction chamber has opening into it one or more ports of one cylinder and one or more ports of the adjacent cylinder. In this way the provision of a partition wall between adjacent cylinders which unless the cylinders were widely spaced would restrict the flow of air to the ports in the cylinders which lie adjacent to this wall is obviated.

Thus in a multi-cylinder engine having, as is usual in engines of the kind in question, three circumferentially spaced inlet ports in each cylinder, these ports may open into a gallery which extends along the cylinder block at right angles to the lengths of the cylinders. A partition extends from each cylinder across the gallery at a point on the cylinder on that side of the central inlet port which first opens during the induction period so as to divide the gallery into a series of induction chambers which in the case of each adjacent pair of cylinders each contains two inlet ports of one cylinder and the adjacent port of the next cylinder.

Whether the induction chambers are arranged as above described or otherwise, the inlet openings through which air flows into them conveniently all lead to a common induction passage and are controlled by a single valve member so that the inlet openings in the various induction chambers are simultaneously correspondingly controlled.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, but one construction according to this invention is illustrated somewhat diagrammatically by way of example as applied to a fourcylinder engine in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a transverse section through the cylinder block in a plane traversing the inlet and exhaust ports,

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic end elevation partly in section of an engine according to this invention with the connecting rod omitted for the sake of simplicity;

In the construction illustrated the engine comprises a cylinder block A having four or more cylinders B each of which is provided with three circumferentially spaced inlet ports C and two circumferentially spaced exhaust ports D arranged as shownv Disposed in each cylinder is a sleeve valve E controlling the inlet and exhaust ports therein, this sleeve valve having imparted to it in known manner a combined oscillating and reciprocating motion such that this motion is mainly oscillating during the initial opening period of the inlet ports C whereby rotation of the air charge tends'to be produced about the axis of each cylinder, as indicated by the arrows in the lefthand cylinder shown in Figure 1, wherein inlet ports E in the sleeve valve E are shown as just beginning to uncover the inlet ports C in the cylinder.

The mechanism for imparting combined oscillating and reciprocating motion to the sleeve valves is not shown since such mechanism is well known and in itself forms no part of the present invention.

Closing the outer end of each cylinder is a plug-like cylinder head A as shown in Figure 2, between the outer circumferential wall of which and the inner circumferential wall of the cylinder the outer end of the sleeve valve E lies and moves. Formed in this plug-like cylinder head A is a substantially cylindrical combustion chamber A of smaller diameter than the cylinder bore having mounted in its end wall adjacent to the circumference thereof a fuel injection device A adapted to deliver a spray the mean direction of which is approximately parallel to or has a large component in a direction approximately parallel to the axis of the cylinder.

Formed integral with the cylinder block A and extending along the side thereof through which the inlet ports C open is a gallery F with which such inlet ports communicate and this gallery is divided into a series of induction chambers as shown by partitions F Each partition F extends across the gallery from the outer wall of the gallery to that part of the wall of a cylinder which lies adjacent to the side of the centre inlet port 0 in that cylinder which opens first during the induction period. Thus, excent in the case of the end cylinders, each induction chamber contains two inlet ports of one cylinder and the adjacent inlet port of the next cylinder, this latter inlet port being that to which air is caused to flow in a manner tending to assist rotation of the charge in the cylinder by reason of the port opening into the space between two cylinders to which space air tends to flow in a direction generally tangential to the cylinder walls.

In the case of the induction chamber at the left-hand end of the cylinder block, this contains only two ports of the end cylinder while in the case of the induction chamber at the other end of the cylinder block this contains three ports of the adjacent end cylinder in addition to one port of the next cylinder.

Formed in the lower wall of the part of the gallery F constituting each induction chamber are two inlet openings G, G one of which lies adjacent to one end of the induction chamber wall while the other lies adjacent to the other end thereof. The inlet openings G, G throughout the gallery F open into a common induction manifold H and a valve, for example as.

shown a slide valve H having ports H is arranged to control the flow of air from the manifold I-I through the inlet openings G, G 'into the induction chambers. This valve is so constructed and arranged as to control similarly the two inlet openings G, G in each induction chamber in such a manner that when one of the inlet openings is fully open the other is fully closed, and vice versa.

It will thus be seen that by suitable adjustment flow through such ports in a direction to assist the rotation of the charge within the cylinder which tends to be set up by reason of the manner in which the ports are controlled by the sleeve valve E. When the inlet port G at the right-hand end of each induction chamber is open, however, i

the air will tend to approach two of the inlet ports 0 in each cylinder in a direction such that this air will tend to flow through these ports in a direction tending to reduce or eliminate the rot-ation of the charge within the cylinder which tends to be set up by reason of the manner in which these ports are controlled by the sleeve valve E.

Each sleeve valve E has imparted to it a combined oscillating and reciprocating motion by mechanism diagrammatic-ally illustrated in Figure 3. This mechanism comprises a short sleeveoperating shaft J mounted in bearings J and carrying at one end a crank J the crank pin J of which freely engages the bore of a member J having 'an externally spherical surface and lying within a corresponding internally spherical boss E on the valve E. The other end of the shaft J carries a worm wheel K meshing with a worm K on a shaft K driven by suitable mechanism from the engine crankshaft in known manner. Thus, a combined oscillating and reciprocating motion is imparted to the sleeve valve in known manner, the movement of the sleeve during the initial opening period of the ports being mainly oscillatory.

As stated above, the direction in which the air approaches the inlet ports in engines of the kind in question has an appreciable eifect on the degree of rotation of the charge within the cylinder at the end of the induction period and with the construction above described it will therefore be seen that the degree of rotation imparted to the air charge drawn into each cylinder can be varied. Thus the arrangement can be such that when air is permitted to flow through the inlet openings G the degree of rotation obtained in all the cylinders tends to be the same and can be such in relation to the other characteristics of the engine as to be suitable for normal running while, when air is permitted to flow instead through the inlet openings G, a definite check can be imposed on the rotation of the charge set up in each cylinder so as substantially to eliminate it and so as to obtain a definite smaller degree of rotation suitable, for example, for idling or starting purposes. Again intermediate degrees of rotation can be obtained by placing the valve H in intermediate positions in which each inlet opening G, G is partly open.

It is to be understood that the construction more particularly described above is given by way of example only and that the form of the induction chamber or chambers, the manner in which the point of entry of the air into such chamber or chambers is varied or controlled, and other details of construction may be modified without departing from this invention.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An internal combustion engine of the liquid fuel injection type including in combination a cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports in the wall thereof, a sleeve valve controlling the inlet and exhaust ports and having imparted to it a combined oscillating and reciprocating motion such that the movement of the sleeve is mainly rotary during the initial opening period of the inlet port, an induction chamber having two inlet openings therein so spaced apart that the mean direction of air flowing from one opening towards the inlet port will be substantially different from that in which air will flow from the other opening to the inlet port, and means for controlling the flow of air through the two inlet openings for the purpose set forth.

2. An internal combustion engine of the liquid fuel injection type including in combination a cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports in the wall thereof, a sleeve valve controlling the inlet and exhaust ports and having imparted to it a combined oscillating and reciprocating motion such that the movement of the sleeve is mainly rotary during the initial opening period of the inlet port, an induction chamber having two inlet openings therein so spaced apart that the mean direction of air flowing from one opening towards the inlet port will be substantially different from that in which air will flow from the other opening towards the inlet port, and means for controlling the flow of air through the two inlet openings such that when one inlet opening is fully open the other is fully closed and vice versa.

3. A multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of the liquid fuel injection type including in combination at least two adjacent cylinders each provided with inlet and exhausts ports in its wall, a sleeve valve in each cylinder controlling the ports and having imparted to it a combined oscillating and reciprocating motion such that the movement of the sleeve is mainly rotary during the initial opening period of the inlet port, an inlet gallery into which the inlet ports open extending at right angles to the length of the cylinders, partitions extending across the gallery and dividing it into at least two induction chambers, each induction chamber having two inlet openings therein so spaced apart that the mean direction of air flowing from one opening towards the inlet port will be substantially'different from that in which air will flow from the other inlet opening towards the inlet port, and valve means controlling the flow of air through the inlet openings.

4. A multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of the liquid fuel injection type including in combination at least two adjacent cylinders each having in its wall exhaust ports and three circumferentially spaced inlet ports, a sleeve valve controlling the ports in each cylinder and having imparted to it a combined oscillating and reciprocating motion such that the movement of the sleeve is mainly rotary during the initial opening period of the inlet ports, an inlet gallery into which the inlet ports open extending at right angles to the length of the cylinders, a partition extending across the gallery on that side of the central inlet port of at least one cylinder which first opens during the induction period of that cylinder and dividing the gallery into chambers at least one of which contains one inlet port only of one cylinder and two or more inlet ports of the adjacent cylinder, two inlet openings being provided in each chamber at points spaced apart longitudi-. nally of the gallery, and valve means controlling the flow of air through these inlet openings.

5. A multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of the liquid fuel injection type including in combination at least two adjacent cylinders each having in its wall exhaust ports and three circumferentially spaced inlet ports, a sleeve valve controlling the ports in each cylinder and having imparted to it a combined oscillating and reciprocating motion such that the movement of the sleeve is mainly rotary during the initial opening period of the inlet ports, an inlet gallery into which the inlet ports open extending at right angles to the length of the cylinders, a partition extending across the gallery on that side of the central inlet. port of at least one cylinder which first opens during the induction period of that cylinder and dividing the gallery into chambers at least one of which contains one inlet port only of one cylinder and two or more inlet ports of the adjacent cylinder, two inlet openings being provided in each chamber at points spaced apart longitudinally of the gallery, and valve means controlling the flow of air through these inlet openings in such a manner that when one inlet opening in each chamber is fully open the other is fully closed, and vice versa.

6. A multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of the liquid fuel injection type including in combination at least two adjacent cylinders each provided with inlet and exhaust ports in its wall, a sleeve valve in each cylinder controlling the ports and having imparted to it a combined oscillating and reciprocating motion such that the movement of the sleeve is mainly rotary during the initial opening period of the inlet port, an inlet gallery into which the inlet ports open extending at right angles to the length of the cylinders, partitions extending across the gallery and dividing it into at least two induction chambers each having two inlet openings therein, a common induction passage with which the inlet openings communicate and a single longitudinally movable Valve member having ports therein adapted to cooperate with the inlet openings and thus control the flow of air through these inlet openings.

'7. A multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of the liquid fuel injection type including in combination at least two adjacent cylinders each provided with inlet and exhaust ports in its wall, a

sleeve valve in each cylinder controlling the ports and having imparted to it a combined oscillating and reciprocating motion such that the movement of the sleeve is mainly rotary during the initial opening period of the inlet port, an inlet gallery into which the inlet ports open extending at right angles to the length of the cylinders, partitions extending across the gallery and dividing it into at least two induction chambers each having two inlet openings therein, a common induction passage with which the inlet openings communicate, and a single longitudinally movable valve member having ports therein adapted to cooperate with the inlet openings and thus control the flow of air through these inlet openings in such a manner that either one of the inlet openings can be fully open while the other is fully closed.

8. A multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of the liquid fuel injection type including in combination at least two adjacent cylinders each pro vided with exhaust ports and three circumferentially displaced inlet ports in its wall, a sleeve valve in each cylinder controlling the ports and having imparted to it a combined oscillating and reciprocating motion such that the movement of the sleeve is mainly rotary during the initial opening period of the inlet port, an inlet gallery into which the inlet ports open extending at right angles to the length of the cylinders, partitions extending across the gallery on that side of the central inlet port of at least one cylinder which first opens during the induction period of that cylinder and dividing the gallery into at least two induction chambers each induction chamber having two inlet openings therein at points spaced apart longitudinally of the gallery, a common induction passage with which the inlet openings communicate, and a single longitudinally movable member having ports therein adapted to cooperate with the inlet openings and thus control the flow of air through these inlet openings.

9. A multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of the liquid fuel injection type including in combination at least two adjacent cylinders each provided with inlet and exhaust ports in its wall, a sleeve valve in each cylinder controlling the inlet port and having imparted to it a combined oscillating and reciprocating motion such that the movement of the sleeve is mainly rotary during the initial opening period of such inlet port, an inlet gallery into which the inlet ports open extending at right angles to the length of the cylin-,

ders, partitions extending across the gallery on that side of th central inlet port of at least one cylinder which opens first during the induction period of that cylinder and dividing the gallery into at least two induction chambers each induction chamber having two inlet openings therein at points spaced apart longitudinally of the gallery, a'common induction passage with which the inlet openings communicate, and a single lon- .gitudinally movable member having ports therein adapted to cooperate with the inlet openings and thus control the flow of air through these inlet openings in such a manner that either one of the inlet openings can be fully open while the other is fully closed.

16. A multi-cylinder internal combustion engine including in combination a series of cylinders formed as a unit and each having at least one exhaust port and three inlet ports in the wall thereof, a sleeve valve controlling the inlet and exhaust ports in each cylinder and having imparted to it a combined oscillating and reciprocating motion such that the movement of the sleeve is mainly rotary during the initial opening period of the inlet port, an inlet gallery into which the inlet ports open extending at right angles to the length or the cylinders, parlticns extending across the gallery and dividing it into induction chambers at least two of which contain one inlet port of one cylinder and two inlet ports of an adjacent cylinder, each induction chamber having an inlet opening therein each inlet opening being disposed in the same relationship to the inlet ports in its induction chamber as the inlet opening in each of the other induction chambers in relation to the inlet ports in such other induction chamber.

11. In a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, in combination, at least two adjacent cylinders each having in its wall at least one exhaust port and at least two inlet ports, a sleeve valve in each cylinder controlling the ports, an inlet gallery into which the inlet ports open w extending at right angles. to the length of the cylinders, at least one partition extending across the gallery from a. point between two inlet ports in the wall of one cylinder to the outer wall of the induction gallery so as to divide it into at least two induction chambers, each induction chamber having an, inlet opening leading thereto.

, 12. In a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, in combination, at least two adjacent cylinders each having in its wall exhaust ports and three circumferentially spaced inlet ports, a sleeve valve controlling the ports in each cylinder, an inlet gallery into which the inlet ports open extending at right angles to the length of the cylinders, a partition extending across the gallery from a point between the central inlet port and one of the other inlet ports of at least one cylinder to the outer wall of the gallery so as to divide the gallery into at least two induction chambers, each induction. chamber having an inlet opening leading thereto.

13. In a multi-cylinde-r internal combustion engine, in combination, at least two adjacent cylinders each having in its wall exhaust ports and three circumferentia-lly spaced inlet ports, a sleeve valve controlling the ports in each cylinder, an inlet gallery into which the inlet ports a open extending at right angles to the length of the cylinders, a partition extending across the gallery from a point between the central inlet 7 port and one of the other inlet ports of at least one cylinder to the outer wall of the gallery so as to divide the gallery into at least two induction chambers, each induction chamber having an inlet opening leading thereto, each inlet opening being disposed in the same relation to the inlet ports in its induction chamber as is the inlet opening in each of the other induction chambers in relation to the inlet ports in such other induction chambers.

14. In a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, in combination, at least two adjacent cylinders each provided with exhaust ports and three circumferentially disposed inlet ports in its wall, a sleeve valve in each cylinder controlling the ports and having imparted to it a combined oscillating and reciprocating motion such that the movement of the sleeve is mainly rotary during the initial opening period of the inlet port, an. inlet gallery into which the inlet ports open extending at right angles to the length of the cylinders, partitions extending across the gallery on that side of the central inlet port in at least one cylinder which first opens during the induction period of that cylinder and dividing the gallery into at least two induction chambers each containing two inlet ports of one cylinder and one inlet port of the adjacent cylinder, each induction chamber having at least one inlet opening leading thereto, and a common induction passage With which the inlet openings communicate.

15. An internal combustion engine of the liquid fuel injection type including, in combination, a cylinder having inlet and exhaust ports in the wall thereof, a sleeve valve controlling the inlet able in a direction at right angles to the length of the cylinder so as to vary the point of entry of air into the induction chamber in relation to the inlet port for the purpose of varying the mean direction of flow of air towards the inlet port 20 and hence the direction of entry of air through this port into the cylinder.

RONALD WHITEHAIR. VIGERS. 

